In the early 1970s, local authorities moved towards city development plans that were compiled from local plans of specific areas. Conservation, as well as redevelopment, was by this time high on the agenda. The South Side locality of Edinburgh, designated by the local authority in 1972, contained much of the land involved in the University Comprehensive Development Area (CDA). This CDA scheme was stagnant by 1970 and officially extinct in 1975.

Percy Johnson-Marshall & Associates were commissioned by the City of Edinburgh to prepare the South Side Local Plan, reporting on housing quality, residency and population, commercial uses and buildings of architectural interest (1973-1975). Johnson-Marshall was also required to report to the University Development Committee on the progress of the South Side Local Plan and its implications for the University of Edinburgh.